- Date
- May 11, 2002, 07:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Port Allen, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N25360Balloon Works Firefly 7B-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020511011109A
- Case key
- 54666
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to land in the sugar cane field, which resulted in the pilot's unintentional exit from the basket. A contributing factor was the high vegetation in the field.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After a routine flight, the pilot elected to land in a sugar cane field. Prior to landing, the pilot pulled the vent line to deflate the balloon. When the basket started to tip over onto its side, it dragged along the ground. The basket of the balloon "got hung up on a cane row for a few seconds" as the envelope continued forward for a few feet, pulling the pilot "up and in front of the basket." Subsequently, the basket "came loose" from the cane row and struck the pilots leg.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 2002, at 0745 central daylight time, a Ballon Works Firefly 7B-15 hot-air balloon, N25360, was undamaged during a hard landing near Port Allen, Louisiana. The balloon was registered to and operated by the pilot. The private pilot was seriously injured, and the sole passenger of the balloon, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 0640.
The 269-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that after a routine flight, she elected to land in a large sugar cane field. Prior to landing, she pulled the vent line to deflate the balloon. When the basket started to tip over onto its side, it dragged along the ground. The basket of the balloon "got hung up on a cane row for a few seconds" as the envelope continued forward for a few feet, pulling her "up and in front of the basket." Subsequently, when the basket "came loose" from the cane row, it and "hit her leg causing a break."
The pilot further stated in the Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented) section of the NTSB Form 6120.1/2; "Not to land cross-way to rows in a sugar cane field. (Very deep rows)."
At 0753, the weather observation facility at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan, Ryan Field Airport, located 7 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, reported the wind from 090 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25360
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7B-15
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7B-328
- Airframe hours
- 236
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Patricia M. Fontaine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2002 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- BTR · Baton Rouge, LA
- Destination
- Port Allen, LA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- November 18, 2001
- Flight hours
- 269 total · 269 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- BTR, 7 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 389 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.